Press Release: Red Dirt Book Festival Authors Meet Their Fans

Red Dirt Book Festival authors meet their fans during festival book signings

With the theme “Imagine Oklahoma,” Red Dirt Book Festival will take place November 6 and 7 in Shawnee, Oklahoma at the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center and on the campuses of Oklahoma Baptist University and St. Gregory’s University.

“One of the most popular events of the festival is always when the authors meet and greet their fans to sign their books and just talk. Friday and Saturday have times set aside for this in the festival’s Exhibit Hall and Book Store,” said Cindy Stevens festival planner. “The book store will have books written by each author for sale throughout the festival.”

Red Dirt Book Festival attendees will have an exciting chance to get up close and personal with many Red Dirt authors. On Friday, November 6, from 2-3 p.m. the following authors will host a meet and greet in the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center: Dorothy Alexander, Michele Bardsley, Pamela Bracken, Nathan Brown, Jeanetta Calhoun-Mish, David Charlson, Margaret Daley, Jordan Dane, Mildred Dennis, Dayna Dunbar, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, David Farris, Diane Glancy, Ken Hada, Bill Hagen, P.J. Hoover, Steven Hunt, Crystal Inman, Hannibal Johnson, Davis D. Joyce, Phil Kemp, Jennifer Kidney, Carolyn B. Leonard, Billie Letts, Patricia Loughlin, Vickie McDonough, Victoria Nourse, Stacy Nyikos, Mel Odom, Mark Robinson, Greg Rodgers, Randy Russell, Sharon Sala, Charles Sasser, Carol Dean Schreiner, Steven Schroeder, Sandra Soli, Gloria Teague, Tim Tingle, Larry Van Meter, Steve Wedel, KD Wentworth, and Dale Whisman.

Additionally, the following authors will be hosting another book signing Saturday, November 7, from 2-3 p.m. on the first floor of the Oklahoma Baptist University Geiger Center: Dorothy Alexander, Michele Bardsley, Pamela Bracken, Nathan Brown, Jeanetta Calhoun-Mish, Connie Cronley, Jordan Dane, Mildred Dennis, Dayna Dunbar, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Diane Glancy, Ken Hada, Bill Hagen, Steven Hunt, Hannibal Johnson, Davis D. Joyce, Carolyn B. Leonard, Billie Letts, Patricia Loughlin, Romney Nesbit, Mel Odom, Linda Reese, Mark Robinson, Greg Rodgers, Randy Russell, Charles Sasser, Carol Dean Schreiner, Steven Schroeder, Sandra Soli, Gloria Teague, Tim Tingle, Larry Van Meter, Steve Wedel, and Dale Whisman.

The book store will be open in the Exhibit Hall of the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center on Friday, November 6, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on the first floor of the Geiger Center at Oklahoma Baptist University on Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Support for the festival is provided by the Pioneer Library System, the Oklahoma Humanities Council, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as community support including the Shawnee Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma Baptist University and St. Gregory’s University and many local donors and volunteers.

Press Release: Imagine Oklahoma at Red Dirt Book Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pioneer Library System
CONTACT: Galyn Cresap, Public Relations Specialist
Telephone; 701-2674
E-mail: gcresap@pls.lib.ok.us

Imagine Oklahoma at Red Dirt Book Festival

SHAWNEE—More than 70 well-known writers, entertainers, and scholars with Oklahoma roots are preparing to be in Shawnee, Okla. on November 6 and 7 to present 40 programs for hundreds of reading enthusiasts and aspiring writers. The fourth biennial Red Dirt Book Festival will be held at the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center on Friday, November 6, and at Oklahoma Baptist University on Saturday, November 7. The public is invited to attend any or all of the programs associated with the festival. Registration for most Red Dirt Book Festival events is free and can be done online at http://www.reddirtbookfestival.com through October 15.

Imagine Oklahoma is the conversational theme for the 2009 festival, and will be illustrated by several featured presenters who help the world image Oklahoma through their work on television. Ron Stahl, co-host of the Integris Discover Oklahoma series will speak at the Opening General Session at the Expo Center at 9 a.m. Friday, November 6. The luncheon speaker on Friday is Susan Miller, producer of the Gallery series on OETA-TV. The Friday evening banquet speaker is Galen Culver, producer of the Is This a Great State or What! series for KFOR-TV. Also performing at the banquet which will be held at the Potawatomi Cultural Heritage Center are the Red Dirt Rangers.

The featured author for the 2009 festival is Billie Letts, best known for her debut novel, Where the Heart Is which became a York Times Best Seller, an Oprah Book Club selection, and a major motion picture. Letts has written three more novels, all with Oklahoma settings and characters. Her latest work, Made in the USA, was published in 2008. Letts will speak at OBU’s Raley Chapel at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 7. Copies of her novels will be available for purchase and autographing following the presentation.

Previous featured authors have included Tony Hillerman, the first American author whose work was featured on the PBS series, Mystery!; Bob Burke, 2006 Oklahoma Hall of Fame inductee who has written 70 historical non-fiction books; Fred R. Harris, former U.S. Senator from Oklahoma and widely published author of nonfiction, including Does People Do It? A Memoir; and Carolyn Hart, master of mystery and suspense and the first author to win all three major mystery awards for her novels–the Agatha, the Anthony, and the Macavity awards.

Those interested in attending any portion of the festival may visit their nearest hometown public library in Cleveland, McClain and Pottawatomie counties to pick up a free copy of the winter 2009 edition of WORD Magazine which contains complete festival information including a list of presenters and donors.

Major support for the festival is provided the Pioneer Library System, the Oklahoma Humanities Council, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Ar-Hale Family Foundation, Dougherty Fund, and Kirkpatrick Family Fund.  Additional support comes from the Shawnee Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oklahoma Baptist University and St. Gregory’s University and many local donors and volunteers.